Police said officers negotiated with the man for up to 25 minutes and used a less-lethal device before opening fire.
GARLAND, TX — Garland police officers fatally shot a 37-year-old man armed with a machete early Monday after authorities said he advanced toward officers despite repeated attempts to persuade him to drop the weapon.
Police identified the man as Michael Antonio Santacruz. The shooting happened near Broadway Boulevard and Colonel Drive after officers responded to two reports of a man carrying a machete in the area. Santacruz was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No officers were injured, police said.
The first call came at about 2:15 a.m. Sept. 7 and directed officers to the 3000 block of Broadway Boulevard, where a caller had reported seeing a man carrying a machete near a gas station. Officers searched the surrounding area but did not find anyone matching the description, according to police.
About an hour later, at roughly 3:20 a.m., police received another call reporting a similarly described man armed with a large machete near Broadway Boulevard and Colonel Drive. Officers responding to the second call found the man and began trying to persuade him to put down the weapon.
Garland police spokesperson Matt Pesta said officers spent about 15 to 25 minutes trying to de-escalate the confrontation. Police said the man did not comply with repeated commands to drop the machete and eventually began moving toward officers, forcing them to retreat into the roadway.
Officers then used an electrical control device, commonly called a stun gun, but police said it did not stop the man. Authorities said he continued advancing while swinging the machete. Several officers then fired their department-issued weapons, striking him.
After the shooting, officers and Garland Fire Department paramedics provided emergency medical care. Santacruz was transported to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead. Police said he had not injured any officers or other people before the shooting.
The officers who fired their weapons were placed on administrative leave under department policy. Garland police detectives are reviewing body-camera footage, surveillance video from nearby businesses and other evidence collected as part of the investigation.
The shooting is also being reviewed separately by the Garland Police Department’s Professional Standards Unit and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office Public Integrity Unit. Those reviews are intended to examine the circumstances surrounding the officers’ use of deadly force.
Broadway Boulevard was closed in both directions near Colonel Drive while investigators processed the scene, disrupting traffic for several hours. Authorities said the roadway reopened later Monday morning. The investigation remains active, and police had not announced any final findings about the shooting as of Monday.
Author note: Last updated September 7, 2026.